


kiwi

by AEONOYA



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Crushes, Humor, Love, M/M, baekhyun hates driving and honestly so do i, coffee shop au but not a coffee shop au, everyone in this fic is a complete dweeb minus kyungsoo maybe, fluff?, its a gay thing, some side chenyeol bc i had to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-12 01:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13536510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AEONOYA/pseuds/AEONOYA
Summary: baekhyun only goes to the dubiously named "grind time" coffee stand for his favorite kiwi italian soda and to get a glimpse of the smoking hot barista minseok. jongdae might be in love with the shop's eccentric owner and kyungsoo is the only one here who actually comes for the coffee.





	kiwi

**Author's Note:**

> so where im from there r a lot of independently owned drive-thru coffee stands. typically u get a punch card that allows u to earn free drinks the more u visit! each place has its own kind of speciality and they fit only 2 or 3 ppl inside at a time. i hope yall enjoy this pls come harass me on twitter (@ultjng)

1/4/17

 

"hey pull in here for a second," baekhyun hollers, pointing towards a tiny coffee stand. he had lifted himself completely off his seat, leaning his entire body into jongdae in an attempt to move him in his desired direction.

“what the fuck? it’s like two pm why do you want coffee?” jongdae questioned. he was currently waiting for the opportunity to make a risky right turn, hands gripping the wheel in utter anxiety. the pair had just just gotten out of class and were headed to jongdae’s for a cheeky study session (both knowing they were not gonna study and were probably gonna watch rerun dr.phil episodes instead). 

“i’m thirsty and we haven’t tried this place right?” baekhyun huffed, pulling down the passenger mirror and ruffling his greasy brown hair. he had meant to shower before his one (1) lecture yet couldn’t find the time. he and jongdae both took mostly online classes, giving them very little reason to be presentable other than on weekends when they quote, “hit the town.” even then they typically threw on some baseball caps and called it good. 

the car jolted as jongdae made the turn, keeping at a steady fifteen mph as he rounded the corner in the direction of the coffee stand. baekhyun smiled to himself as he reached for his wallet, only to find he had about two dollars to his name. he turned to jongdae once more, blinking his eyes wildly in an attempt at seduction. 

“hey dae~”  
“mhm.”  
“you’ll buy me a drink right?”

jongdae kept his eyes strictly on the road, ignoring baekhyun and his erratic winking. 

“please~” 

at this point they had already pulled into the drive thru, giving jongdae little time to refuse. he sighed and rolled down the window, glancing at the massive menu. the sign above the shop’s window read “grind time” in an obnoxious typed font. the special was loey’s triple white chocolate raspberry mocha. jongdae scrunched his face in distaste and set his heart on a basic americano and a snickerdoodle.

“alright asshole what do you w-”

jongdae was interrupted by the slide of the outside window and the cheery voice of the barista in front of him. he seemed short, leaning forward as he tried to reach closer to the counter.

“hello welcome to grind time what can i get started for you?”

jongdae recited his order dutifully and turned to baekhyun. 

“i’ll have a twenty-four ounce kiwi italian soda with no cream but with extra whipped cream.” jongdae exchanged glances with the barista, offering a weak smile. baekhyun hadn't even looked up from what looked like to be a crazy intense game of candy crush. 

“alright that brings you to eleven fifty five,” the barista announced, flashing a gummy smile. he turned quickly and yelled for his coworker to return the step stool he kept at the window. 

uninterested, jongdae reached for the bowl of complementary chocolate-covered coffee beans sitting on the counter, grabbing a handful and stuffing them into his mouth. baekhyun finally looked up from his phone and folded his remaining cash into a tight rectangle, sliding the bills under jongdae’s thigh. he then moved forward in his seat and reached desperately for the bowl of coffee beans, the entirety of his upper body in jongdae’s lap. 

the barista returned with their order and ran jongdae’s payment, barely stealing a glance at the boy leaning from the passenger seat with his mouth agape. baekhyun felt like he had been fucking shot. beans forgotten, his eyes were fixed on the tiny barista, his hair light and delicately styled. he wore a neat button down and a tight apron, tied with a loopy bow at his waist. his nametag read “minseok”, written with a thin black pen. there was a small star sticker placed next to his name, somewhat centered on the tag, if not a little lopsided. baekhyun was entranced. 

in that moment jongdae claimed baekhyun had possibly started to drool, though he denied it vehemently. 

he was gone as quickly as he came. their drinks were handed off by a complete monster of a man. he was able to carry both drinks with one hand, a feat jongdae was clearly impressed by. the second barista sent them off with a crooked smile and a small punch card, their visit being marked by the same star sticker minseok had on his nametag. 

baekhyun poked at his drink thoughtfully as they were driving home. the whipped cream to soda ratio was just to his liking.

“hey we should go there again,” he announced, pushing his straw back and forth. 

jongdae immediately agreed through a mouthful of snickerdoodle.

 

1/6/18

 

“no you don’t understand! this place is seriously fantastic,” baekhyun mused, twisting the steering wheel of his dusty honda civic. 

“there isn’t really a place to sit down though? i don’t understand the point,” his friend kyungsoo sighed. kyungsoo was a real character. he was smart, employed, and kinda had an idea of what he wanted to do with his life. baekhyun really couldn't figure out how he could have his shit together like that at the sweet, tender age of eighteen. 

he figured hanging out with kyungsoo might enlighten him to the secrets of adulthood, yet all he had seemed to achieve was a damn good movie watching companion. at the end of the day he really couldn't complain. 

“the point is it’s convenient. you don’t have to move like, at all? it’s like fast food but you know, good.”

kyungsoo rolled his eyes from the passenger seat. he unplugged baekhyun’s phone from the aux and began to play what sounded like an early 2000’s r&b mix. baekhyun let it slide just this once. 

“jongdae told me the barista was hot.” 

baekhyun scoffed, swinging the car as he made what was possibly an illegal left turn. 

“i mean ONE of them was…”

kyungsoo studied the older boy for a second, squinting as he did a quick once-over of his face. 

“you brushed your hair today didn’t you? christ you even exfoliated.”

baekhyun grinned shyly. a silent confirmation.

“don’t tell me you’re gonna hit on him while he’s working.” 

baekhyun stopped for a second, his grin faltering just slightly. 

“i mean, no! i’m not that obnoxious am i? i swear to god we had a moment the other day i’m just giving him a better angle of my face you feel?” he settled into the driver’s seat, grimacing as he nearly ran a red light. 

kyungsoo remained silent the remainder of the drive. there was no need to offer further conversation. baekhyun on the other hand, happily chatted away about anything and everything till the moment they pulled into grind time. 

it was nice out for once, the sun filtering through the heavy gray clouds that winter brought. minseok was already at the window, restocking the coffee beans and straightening out his apron. this time his hair was laying naturally on his forehead rather than pushed to the side. baekhyun pulled up and rolled down his window, taking a deep breath. 

“hi.”

minseok appeared taller now. his step stool seemed to be in use. his eyes met baekhyun’s if only for a second. there was a slight note of recognition. 

“welcome back! what can i get started for you today?” 

his smile was tighter this time, if not a little forced. baekhyun stumbled on his order, nervously handing minseok his payment in all coins and jongdae’s bent punch card. minseok’s smile softened slightly.

when he returned he handed baekhyun his bright green drink and a fresh punch card. baekhyun looked up at him questioningly, eyes downcast like a pouting puppy. 

this time it was minseok’s turn to stumble on his words.

“it’s uh, so you have your own? here is your friend’s card as well.” 

it took baekhyun a second to catch up. he visibly glowed when he did though, and was that a fucking sight for sore eyes. minseok bowed slightly and turned away once more, sliding the window closed behind him.

the drive home was silent. 

kyungsoo didn’t mention that baekhyun had completely forgotten to order his triple shot espresso. instead, he let him hum away in the driver’s seat, only breaking away to take a sip of his soda. his punch card had been tucked away in a glove compartment next to his favorite pair of sunglasses and his insurance card, marked with two shiny star stickers. 

 

1/11/18

 

it was a well known fact baekhyun loved to sing in the car. in fact, he even had a special playlist with all his favorite karaoke songs on hand at all times. baekhyun wasn’t really keen on driving but he couldn't deny it gave him plenty of opportunities to belt out tunes without bothering his neighbours. so what he got distracted at intersections because he couldn't hit a c#6 without physically clutching his chest and thus taking his hands off the wheel? he tried his best to drive safely but often found himself preferring to ride with his friends (all two of them). today was no exception. 

jongdae was at the wheel today, harmonizing with baekhyun to a rendition of some old mariah carey song. four in the afternoon felt like an odd time to stop for coffee but they both had nothing but online classes that day, this giving them an excuse to actually leave their apartments and perhaps breathe some fresh air. also, jongdae had yet to admit to baekhyun that he found the barista with the massive hands and crooked smile cute. 

they swung into the coffee stand and pulled up to the window, jongdae slamming the breaks as he forgot that you actually have to stop at a drive-thru. the radio in his polished volkswagen was still blaring as Tall Barista slid open the window with a sleepy look on his face. jongdae took a good three seconds to swish his hair a bit and roll down his window, meeting the barista’s look with a sweet smile. 

almost instantly Tall Barista (or chanyeol as jongdae realized, his nametag almost hidden in the folds of his oversized flannel shirt) brightened up. he seemed pretty reactive to jongdae, something he noted with a swooping feeling in his chest. 

“oh hello! what can i get started for yall?”

jongdae blinked, leaning out his window a bit. baekhyun had been peeking from the passenger seat to get a glimpse of minseok, only to be disappointed by giant lumberjack man. he slumped low in his seat, nudging jongdae and murmuring “i don’t want anything”.

jongdae ignored him and asked, “what do you recommend?”

chanyeol leaned forward as well, closing the gap between them considerably. 

“well what are you into?” 

baekhyun could be heard choking back laughter, and then wheezing as jongdae hit him without turning away from chanyeol.  
“i like coffee, i assume you have that?” jongdae laughed, gesturing to the espresso machine behind chanyeol. 

“well of course, though i’ve always enjoyed sweeter things myself… can i interest you in a cherry lime red bull smoothie? it’s a special blend i made it myself.” 

chanyeol was positively beaming, gesturing to the menu outside at a section dedicated to his mysterious blended concoctions. 

jongdae was at a bit of a loss for words. he simply smiled and nodded, ordering an excessively large thirty-two ounce. baekhyun was still sulking, though he had now crawled to the back seat and was pressed against the window. 

chanyeol returned with the monstrosity he called “the cherry lime duracell,” “(after the battery right?)” 

it did in fact, taste like battery acid, though jongdae took more than two sips as chanyeol watched him with anticipation.

“so what do you think?” chanyeol asked, leaning forward out the window once again. the breeze outside was tossing his curly brown hair lightly, tickling his forehead and dancing across the tops of his clear thick glasses. 

jongdae met his eyes and smiled wide.

“it’s good. thank you.” 

chanyeol straightened up and smiled right back. baekhyun chose that moment to roll down his window in the back and stick his head out. 

“hello?? hey, hi i was wondering where the other barista was.” 

it took chanyeol a moment to locate baekhyun’s sunken form, now hiding in the jackets jongdae had piled in the backseat of his car. 

“minseok? he had the day off. he will be back tomorrow!” chanyeol chuckled. 

by now a couple cars had lined up behind jongdae’s. it then occurred to chanyeol that maybe now wasn't the best time to charm a cute customer. he gestured for jongdae’s punch card and stuck a sticker to it, placing it just above the designated space. his fingers brushed against jongdae’s briefly and they both shuttered. 

jongdae was the first to pull away, turning away and driving off. he kept his window wide open, causing the various debris in his car to stir. he offered his drink to baekhyun, who drank all thirty-two ounces. 

“this is actually really good.”

jongdae grinned. “yeah i liked it.”

baekhyun shrugged, figuring they weren’t talking about the drink anymore. 

 

1/12/18

 

minseok had a hat on today. it was black and had “grind time” printed to the front in big maroon letters. baekhyun was just glad that he was there and making his italian soda. he had stopped visiting other coffee stands, pledging his full allegiance to grind time and their exceptional barista(s). baekhyun was convinced no one else could make his drink like minseok did. some sort of fucking witchcraft had to be going down, or maybe baekhyun was just whipped. 

baekhyun had come alone this time. 

he tried to bribe jongdae into going but he had whined, “god i can’t go two days in a row it’s weird! have some tact!” 

baekhyun looked up what tact meant in the car and concluded that he probably had none of it. 

nonetheless he was here and he was thirsty in probably more ways than one. 

despite only having seen him three time minseok had baekhyun’s order memorized, smiling as he handed it off and stuck a sticker to baekhyun’s readied card. this time it was a cat sticker. baekhyun nearly passed out. 

 

1/15/18

 

jongdae walked into class fifteen minutes late with a massive electric blue drink topped with red whipped cream. baekhyun gave him a knowing stare. he pulled out his phone and sent the smug motherfucker a quick text. 

 

baekhyunneee: so ur cheating on me 

daedae: >:3 

 

baekhyun scowled at him from across the room. jongdae winked at him cheekily, flashing some finger guns. 

baekhyun couldn’t help but snort, causing his professor to tell him to shut the fuck up for the umpteenth time that quarter. this only caused jongdae to squawk in laughter, earning them both warnings. 

baekhyun was trying to drop this class anyway. 

 

1/18/18 

 

minseok always knew he would somehow end up in food service, though nobody would prepare him for his work at chanyeol’s rather eccentric establishment. he had known the guy from school, sharing a pottery class with him a couple quarters ago. chanyeol approached him one day with wide eyes and shaking hands, asking him if he knew anything about coffee. minseok did in fact, know a thing or two about coffee. he brought in a tumbler everyday to class, a different blend each time. 

give or take a couple weeks and suddenly he was helping chanyeol repair his family's old coffee stand in the pouring rain. he was promised decent pay (once they actually started making money) and complete creative freedom with the menu. despite his better judgement, minseok found himself becoming very comfortable at grind time. 

he took his job very seriously. dreams of expansion to an actual full-sized cafe kept him motivated, as well as chanyeol’s cheery disposition. in all, minseok enjoyed what he did. except on monday mornings.  
he was currently being yelled at by a middle aged man with a receding hairline. 

“i asked for a cappuccino without foam? what the fuck is so hard about that?”

minseok barely raised an eyebrow. 

“sir, i’m sorry you are dissatisfied with our service. can i offer you-”

the man practically snarled at him. “no fucking need. learn how to make coffee first you fucking idiot.” he then proceeded to knock the drink from the counter, revving his engine and speeding off. 

it took minseok a moment to gather himself. usually he wasn’t too bothered by rude customers but the yelling? the yelling wasn’t a favorite of his. unfortunately, chanyeol wasn’t there to offer a quippy joke or a comforting pat on the back either. 

“well fuck.” 

minseok squeezed out the side door of the shop with a paper towel and began to wipe away the coffee that had splashed onto the menu board and window. it was raining pretty heavily, soaking minseok’s hair and sending a chill down his spine. he was interrupted by the sound of a car pulling through muddy gravel. bright headlights blinded him, causing him to point a very directed glare at the ill-kept honda civic that was now stalling in front of him. fuck customer service honestly. 

baekhyun was just as blindsided. he impulsively put his car into park and hopped out, wearing nothing but his ratty pajama pants and a white t shirt. 

“sorry!! do you need any help? did i come at a bad time? i know i usually don’t come this early but i really wanted to because of the- drink you know so here i am… i can back out or something i don’t want to hold up the line but i just wanted to make sure you were okay and-”

minseok stared at him, debating whether or not he speak to him like a customer or a normal person (both being two very different things).

“no. no it’s okay there was just a spill. i’ll have your usual in a second i’m sorry for the inconvenience,” minseok replied. he sounded tired, shoulders tense and shivering from the icy rain. baekhyun blinked and ducked back into his car, turning on the engine and hastily parking it at the opposite side of the lot. he came jogging back with a jacket which he all but threw at minseok. 

there was nothing but silence between them, something baekhyun was entirely terrified by. 

minseok took the jacket and pulled it on, shoving his cleaning supplies through the shop window and sliding it closed, placing a “we’ll be back soon!” sign at the counter. he looked at baekhyun and gestured to his car. at this point they were both waterlogged and shivering. it maybe wasn’t the smartest idea to get into a car with an almost-stranger and expect to return alive but minseok failed to really give a shit.

they sat in silence as baekhyun blasted his car’s heater, milking as much power and warmth out of it as possible. his car wheezed in response, but supplied the heat nonetheless. 

“so why kiwi?” minseok asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

“huh?” baekhyun coughed, twisting in his seat to face minseok. his anxiety was off the charts.

“the flavor? the one you always order? nobody else orders it.” 

baekhyun settled back in his seat and let out a soft breath.

“i don’t know.. it’s yummy.”

minseok let out a loud laugh, startling baekhyun and causing him to jump. 

“what? you got something against kiwis?” he joked, finally breaking into a smile.

minseok shook his head and sighed into the passenger seat. 

“i like coffee.”

“well you picked the right profession.”

minseok giggled, shaking his head once more.

“i don’t think i like people though. chanyeol is better at that.”

“chanyeol? he’s the taller one right?”

“you better watch what you say next,” minseok huffed. 

baekhyun just grinned.

minseok took note of his straight white teeth and boxy smile. it was odd seeing the other man at eye-level rather than from above. he maybe had half an inch on minseok, which (though he hated to admit) was ideal. he seemed younger too, with fluffy brown hair that couldn’t seem to stay in one place. 

“you’re cute. meet me at the counter i’ll have your drink ready in a jiffy.” with that minseok slid out of the car, leaving baekhyun’s jacket slumped against the seat. 

baekhyun stared at his empty space in bewilderment. cute? had he heard him right? the little hamster wheel in his head began to turn. 

“oh. OH.” 

baekhyun started his car and slammed it into drive, making a half donut as he gunned it back to the window (a whole fifteen feet away). 

minseok was leaning out, shaking his head in an attempt to displace the raindrops that had gathered on his wet bangs. he handed over baekhyun’s drink, cheeks rosy from the cold and possibly from embarrassment. 

“it’s on the house. thanks for letting me warm up in your car.”

“no worries,” baekhyun assured, beaming up at minseok with literal stars in his eyes. 

“yeah uh, i’ll see you soon? hopefully?” all that was left of minseok’s calm and collected customer service skills were now completely down the drain. 

“for sure.” 

the pair maintained steady eye contact for a good minute, neither willing to part just yet. it was kinda unreal, minseok was sure this shit only happened in movies. he made a note to watch more rom-coms. 

baekhyun was the first to break their little stare-off. kyungsoo was expecting him for a molly ringwald marathon in about ten minutes. before he could roll up his window minseok stopped him, a sticker stuck to his index finger. 

“don’t forget this!”

baekhyun’s eyes shifted from the sticker to minseok’s warm gaze. he took the star from him gently. 

“i didn’t even pay though…”

“eh,” minseok dismissed, waving him off with a small smile. 

baekhyun could barely sit through pretty in pink. kyungsoo side-eyed him from his opposite side of the couch. the drink he had brought was practically untouched, the whipped cream melting into a thick white liquid, pooling at the bottom of the cup and pushed the green syrup upwards. 

 

1/20/18

 

jongdae’s punch card was full, something he had not expected to happen for at least another couple weeks. he had found himself visiting grind time more often than he could afford, sometimes even going without baekhyun. 

he couldn't help that chanyeol needed someone to taste test his latest creations. minseok allegedly refused to, so of course someone had to step up. 

jongdae was never phased by things like sugary drinks, loud voices, and anxious hands. maybe he wasn't a fan of the drinks as much, but everything else about chanyeol made up for it. jongdae found out that they went to the same community college, though he was in the nursing program and chanyeol was studying to… do something. 

at this point jongdae was just aching to ask chanyeol on a date, though he wasn't sure the coffee shop would be an appropriate location to pop the question. 

he was brewing on the subject as he waited in line to order his usual snickerdoodle and whatever godforsaken drink chanyeol had ready for him. 

by the time he was at the window chanyeol looked visibly winded. the last order had required him to make five kids-sized hot chocolates and an upside-down caramel macchiato in only a matter of minutes. 

“hey! you holding up alright?” jongdae asked, brow furrowed in concern.

chanyeol looked up and shook his head with a groan.

“i think i got caramel sauce on my favorite shoes.”

jongdae’s mouth curled in a tight smile. he knew for a fact chanyeol’s favorite pair of shoes were a pair of black crocs minseok had bought him as a gag gift. 

“it’s alright though. i’ve got another pair in the back.”

“that’s… so fantastic chanyeol,” jongdae laughed, though he was sincere in his words. 

chanyeol had the audacity to wink at him, placing jongdae’s snickerdoodle on the counter and pouring an unnaturally orange slush into a cup. 

jongdae watched him intently, folding his arms up on this window and resting his head. 

they did this most afternoons, yet jongdae never got sick of the view. 

“hey chanyeol? you busy after work?”

chanyeol’s grip on the blender slipped, causing the mixture to drip down the sides and onto the counter. 

“yeah no! i mean i’m not busy, like, at all. you wanna hang out?” he began to wipe away the mess manically, the tips of his ears a bright shade of red. 

jongdae still had his head nestled in his arms, his cheeks smushed into the sleeve of his sweater. 

“i was thinking we could see a movie or something…” jongdae drawled, lips curled in a soft smile. he sat up and shuffled around his car for a pen. he then wrote his number neatly on the back of his full punch card. 

“text me when you’re off and i can pick you up,” he smiled, placing the card delicately on the counter and making a grab for his snickerdoodle. 

chanyeol nodded vigorously, adjusting his glasses. 

“sounds good!”

jongdae peeled off, leaving chanyeol with a dumb grin on his face. he quickly punched jongdae’s info in his phone with a heart emoji pinned to his contact. 

maybe it was too soon for something as serious as a heart emoji, but the butterflies in his stomach and the blush resting high on his cheeks said otherwise.

 

1/22/18

 

“so you and bowl cut huh?” minseok teased, watching as chanyeol turned seven shades of red. 

“go hold hands with twink mcgee and leave me alone,” chanyeol retorted, blasting his blender before minseok could reply. the elder widened his eyes and shoved chanyeol into the counter.

 

1/25/18 

 

after a year and a half of valiant service, baekhyun’s honda civic (lovingly named “trash baby”) had finally given up on him. he had just pulled into his driveway when the engine wailed and the smell of smoke poured from the ac. baekhyun jumped out, rightfully fearing for his life. he opened the hood only to be greeted by a flash of flames. he screeched, racing to his yard with a hose in tow. 

after blasting down poor trash baby’s burnt insides he dragged himself inside, mind racing as he processed all the problems the loss of his car would bring. school? no big deal. the inability to visit minseok at any given time? devastating. at the height of his despair kyungsoo visited, urging him to leave his room for once and maybe, i don’t know, look for a new car. 

“you should drink some water,” the younger suggested, offering him a cold glass of flavorless h2o.

“i rather not,” baekhyun grumbled from under three layers of blankets. 

“die then,” kyungsoo announced, unblinking. 

baekhyun stuck out an arm from his blanket nest and grabbed the water, spilling half of it on the floor. 

“you really have a way with words soo.”

 

1/27/18

 

work was painfully slow. minseok kept leaning out the shop window, waiting for an ugly honda civic to pull up and give him a reason to smile. he closed early, a frown sitting heavy on his face.

 

1/28/18

 

“i can drive you over you know,” jongdae offered, eyes filled with concern.

“what are you my mom?” baekhyun scowled. he had gone without his favorite italian soda and favorite barista for far too many days. his quality of life was spiralling. baekhyun’s promise of seeing minseok soon had begun to sour. 

seeing jongdae’s downcast expression made baekhyun feel even worse. 

“thank you for the offer but i can’t just, you know, hit on a him from your passenger seat. haven’t you heard a single tlc song? baekhyun joked, tone softer. 

jongdae chuckled. “so now you choose to retain some dignity. interesting.”

“shut up,” baekhyun whined, pulling himself closer to jongdae on the couch, resting his head on the other’s shoulder. 

“i could ask chanyeol to pass a message to him? i’m sure it would help if he knew what happened.”

baekhyun perked up a little. 

“unrelated but how are you and monster paws? you’ve been on a couple dates now huh?

jongdae’s chest heaved as he laughed. “yeah i mean, we’ve been pretty lowkey about it… nothing serious.” 

“i doubt that,” baekhyun huffed.

jongdae didn’t bother to reply, his racing heartbeat spoke for itself. 

baekhyun cursed the gods and snuggled closer to jongdae, sighing into his shoulder. he smelled like coffee and cherry grenadine. 

 

1/31/18

 

enough was enough. baekhyun finished his online classes early and pulled up google maps, calculating the walking distance between his house and grind time. it would take four hours there and back. he packed a survival backpack full of hand warmers and granola bars and set out, wrapped in a bright yellow rain jacket he had stolen from jongdae. 

the walk was nothing short of tortuous. the wind kept blowing cold rain in his face and he had burned through most of his hand warmers in the first hour. he sang songs to himself as he walked on winding sidewalks and barely paved roads. traffic wasn’t bad at all, few people were willing to travel in this disgusting weather. baekhyun had always gone against the majority anyway. two hours later and he found himself in front of grind time, the shop’s barely lit sign beckoning him forward. he walked up to the window and tapped twice, hands stiff and red from the cold. the window slid open and minseok poked his head out, shielding his face from the onset of rain. 

“baekhyun?”

baekhyun offered him a lopsided grin.

“hey.”

minseok poked his head out further, looking for baekhyun’s beat down car.

“did you walk here? are you fucking insane?”

baekhyun shrugged, trying to stay nonchalant. his shaking hands gave him away. 

minseok slammed the window shut. 

baekhyun stared in disbelief. the sudden urge to cry was overwhelming. 

his approaching breakdown was interrupted by minseok, who had appeared from the side door and was now grabbing baekhyun’s hand, practically dragging him inside. 

“jesus you’re freezing,” minseok exclaimed, taking both of baekhyun's hands in his. he couldn’t quite envelope them like he imagined, but the gesture was enough to send heat rushing through baekhyun’s entire body. 

“i wanted an italian soda.”

“yeah, okay,” minseok snorted, thumbs softly rubbing over baekhyun’s. 

after baekhyun returned to a less concerning temperature minseok pulled away, making his way to their massive espresso machine. he began the process of making a latte, pulling shots and steaming a pitcher of milk.

baekhyun observed him silently, watching as he moved with confidence, his sleeves rolled up neatly and apron spot-free. he was much shorter without the step stool, something baekhyun noted with a quiet smile. 

minseok turned and offered him the hot latte, a delicate heart pattern set on the foam. 

baekhyun did not like coffee. he took the mug anyway with a quiet “thanks.”

he took a tentative sip as minseok watched, eyes flickering between baekhyun’s expression and his pink lips resting on the edge of the mug. 

it was not bitter like baekhyun expected, but sweet and smooth on his tongue. utterly fascinated, he took another large sip. 

“it’s good yeah?” minseok questioned, leaning himself on the back counter. there wasn’t much space between them, being the stand was only meant to fit two or three people. 

"i’ve never liked coffee. this is weird," baekhyun mumbled.

"it really just depends on who makes it", minseok smiled, eyes fixed on the floor. he knew his coffee was good, though sometimes it was hard to give himself credit for it.

baekhyun took a moment to look around the shop. it really was a tiny space. it was hard imagining chanyeol’s towering form moving around without knocking things over. everything was clean and organized though, a sign that minseok had likely been working his shift alone.

minseok busied himself with wiping the counters, sending coffee grinds flying. "i'm closing in about ten minutes. i'd be more than happy to give you a ride home but i usually take the bus," he said softly.

"it's okay! i think jongdae is on his way to pick me up anyway. i texted him earlier and he almost had an aneurysm", baekhyun chuckled, setting his near empty mug down.

he had a slight milk mustache. minseok concluded that he was really too cute for words.

they were quiet for awhile, though it was a comfortable silence. baekhyun never did well with pauses in conversation, but with minseok it felt different. they were content just being near each other. it was refreshing.

before long the sound of jongdae’s car pulling up to the window echoed through the stand. baekhyun slid it open and stuck his head out.

"hey welcome to grind time what the fuck can i get for you?"

he barely could reach it, as it was clearly built by a man with more of a height advantage. 

minseok laughed, shooing him away.

jongdae ignored him and focused his gaze on minseok.

"hey is baekhyun here? his mom was wondering where he was," he smirked, lips curling devilishly.

"i don’t even live with my mom anymore you dickhead!" baekhyun protested from behind minseok.

the elder just sighed and slid the window shut, pulling back the inside curtain. he then turned to baekhyun and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. it was brief, lasting all of two seconds. before baekhyun could respond the smaller man grabbed his arm and began jotting down his number with a thick sharpie, the ink spreading over baekhyun’s skin.

"call me, text me, whatever works for you. don't be shy about it okay?"

"you're gonna wish you didn’t say that when i call you at three am."

"if you call me at three am on a school night i'll kill you i promise you that," minseok threatened, giving his best intimidating glare. it only worked for a second.

jongdae was now rhythmically tapping on the window, whining "i’m pretty sure intimacy in the workplace is against like, five different health codes."

baekhyun took that moment to press a kiss to minseok's cheek, lingering longer than he really needed to. it was only fair.

minseok giggled, pushing him out of the shop and into the rain. he peeked out the window and watched baekhyun stumble into jongdae’s car, holding his cheek and screaming.

"he KISSED ME. ON THE CHEEK. he KISSED ME."

they high-fived, unaware of minseok’s fond gaze.

he watched them pull out, untied his apron and shut the lights off one by one.

 

2/14/18

 

minseokiki: dinner at 5 right?

baekhyunee: of course <3 i'll pick u up

minseokiki: should i really trust you on that

baekhyunee: if my car blows up i'll let u know in advance ;)

minseokiki: thanks love

chanyeolie: yall kno this is a group chat right

minseokiki: yeah

baekhyunee: yeah <3

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to my best friend sophie for brewing up this au with me while in the car. we almost died laughing. i hope i did it justice :') ALSO THANKS TO EVERYONE who read this as i was writing it and helped me clean it up! yall kno who u r (special thanks to eddy for saving my life and being so gotdamn reliable) anyway catch me on twitter (@ultjng)


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